"Sarah El-Masri. Who is she?" Castle asked, pouring himself another cup of coffee.
"We're still investigating, but she's also a sophomore at Columbia University. I tried calling her, but she didn't answer, so I left a message," Esposito replied, handing Beckett a photograph.
The image showed a young woman with soft features and dark hair—her mixed-race appearance carried clear Middle Eastern traits.
As Esposito raised his cup to take a sip, his partner, Kevin Ryan, appeared at the door—his face unusually serious.
"Hey, guys. You're gonna want to see this."
Sensing the urgency, everyone immediately set down their cups and followed Ryan down the hall.
As they walked, Ryan apologized for taking so long to review the security footage.
"There were no street cameras in the alley where Hasim was killed, so I had to mobilize several officers to check footage from nearby intersections. That's when I found this."
Inside the briefing room, he grabbed a remote and hit play.
"This is from a traffic camera one block away from the alley, taken five minutes after the accident."
A gray Ford van appeared on the screen, stopped at a red light.
The front end was clearly dented, and the windshield was riddled with bullet holes.
"That's the van that hit Hasim," Esposito muttered.
"Exactly. But watch closely," Ryan instructed, hitting play again.
Suddenly, the side door of the van slid open.
A young woman poked her head out, seemingly trying to scream for help—only to be yanked back inside.
The door slammed shut.
"Wait, pause that!" Beckett quickly compared the woman's face to the photograph in her hand.
"It's Sarah El-Masri. She's been kidnapped!"
"And Hasim died trying to save her," Castle added, eyes widening in shock.
---
"Okay, guys. This case now belongs to the FBI," Jack announced, giving an apologetic smile.
He had initially just come to check things out—it wasn't every day that you randomly stumbled upon a spy or terrorist.
But now that the case had turned into a kidnapping, it was officially FBI jurisdiction.
"Oh, come on!" Castle groaned. "This case just got interesting, and now you're stealing it?"
Jack sighed.
"Sorry, but a young woman's life is at stake."
He pulled out his phone, then hesitated.
Looking at the group, he relented slightly.
"That being said… If you guys are willing, NYPD is more than welcome to assist. But we'll need you to come to FBI headquarters."
He glanced at Beckett.
"I'm calling Isobel now—we're activating the Command Center."
---
By the time they arrived at FBI headquarters, Isobel and Jubal were already waiting.
Inside the Operations Room, the rest of Jack's Most Wanted Task Force was gathered—even Alice had taken her usual spot at her desk.
"Wow," Castle muttered as they stepped inside, eyes widening in admiration.
"I've been here twice before, but this place still feels like I just walked into the Pentagon."
He barely finished his sentence before he started flirting with Isobel, complimenting everything from the office decor to her fashion sense.
Jack rolled his eyes.
"Castle, aren't you supposed to be watching the kids? It's almost dinner time. Alexis and Kim should be heading home, right?"
Castle waved him off.
"I made reservations at a French restaurant. Alexis is taking Kim—teenagers hate having adults hovering over them."
Jack just shook his head as Castle strolled ahead, greeting the FBI agents he recognized.
Inside the briefing room, Isobel turned to the NYPD detectives.
"All right, let's review what we have," she began.
"NYPD's investigation revealed that Sarah El-Masri was born in Cairo. She's currently a sophomore at Columbia University, majoring in marine biology.
Her father is a wealthy Egyptian businessman, reportedly worth billions. He and his wife live in Long Island and are on their way here now.
But before they arrive, I want to hear your theories."
---
Ryan and Esposito, still awestruck by the massive operation center, were whispering among themselves when they noticed everyone staring at them.
Esposito nudged Ryan, who quickly snapped to attention and pulled out his notepad.
"I spoke to Sarah's roommate, who confirmed that she didn't know Hasim. They had no known connection.
We also checked their phone records—no calls or messages between them.
So it looks like Hasim was following Sarah.
Not only did he bug her apartment, but he also enrolled in two of her classes."
"Sounds like The Conversation," Castle mused.
"Excuse me?" Isobel frowned.
Before he could answer, Jubal stepped in.
"Francis Ford Coppola's film? With Gene Hackman?"
"Yeah, exactly! The movie was released during the Watergate scandal, so it sparked a lot of public discussion at the time," Castle said excitedly.
Jack nodded.
"One of Coppola's classics. Gene Hackman was great in it. Also played Lex Luthor in the old Superman movies."
Castle grinned, but Beckett wasn't convinced.
"In The Conversation, the protagonist accidentally overhears a murder plot while eavesdropping," she said.
"Are you saying Hasim stumbled upon Sarah's kidnapping plot and tried to save her?"
"It's possible!" Castle nodded eagerly.
"Except for one problem," Beckett countered.
She pointed at the crime scene photos.
"Hasim's apartment had a freaking armory. If he was just a good guy trying to help, why did he need a full arsenal?"
Castle froze.
"…Okay, fair point," he admitted. "Gene Hackman definitely didn't have a gun collection that big."
"Or maybe…"
A new voice joined the discussion—Hana had just walked in, smiling.
"Hasim was one of the kidnappers."
She shrugged.
"Maybe he had a change of heart or got into a fight with his partners, and they killed him."
Castle greeted her cheerfully, while Hana pouted slightly.
"By the way, why hasn't Alexis answered my calls today?" she huffed.
"I wanted to tell her about my fashion week experience!"
Jack smirked.
"Oh, you'll love this next part," he said.
Hana blinked.
"What?"
Jack gestured toward the entrance.
"Sarah's parents just arrived.
Who's up for an interrogation?"
______
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